Discussion: Which is your favorite lover subplot?

[OrbitStamina]

DISCLAIMER: These are just my opinions, I'm not trying to hate on Enderal or SureAI. I actually want to know if any of you guys agree or disagree with me on any of my points.

I'm curious about something. I want to know which of the two romance subplots you guys like better. I don't know about you, but I'm basing my answer off of the character themselves (Calia/Jespar), their character arc (how they change as a character), their backstory, and how their growing bond with the player works with all of that.

Personally, I like the Calia romance line better than the one for Jespar. While I will admit that part of it is because I'm a straight man and I wouldn't even romance a man in a video game, my reasons extend beyond my sexual preferences. Calia seems like a more fleshed out character in my opinion. She really grows as a person throughout the story, both with herself and in her bond with the player. While the whole "dark entity inside of me" thing may seem a bit cliche to some, I think it is what allows her to have the arc that she does. How would she change if she didn't have this problem? The only way I could see any arc in her character without the whole entity thing is going from "I don't trust people" to "I love you", which isn't that interesting of a character development; she needs to be more than the damsel in distress who falls for the charming hero.

Even when I say that, I'm not dismissing the value of her bond with the player. It is one of the best player-NPC relationships ever written in my opinion. Calia bonding and eventually being with the player does 3 things:

1) Helps Calia become more trusting as a person, at first with the player and then with others.
2) Helps her confront/accept the entity inside of her as a part of her, which removes a lot of worry off of her and allows her to be happy
3) Depending on how you roleplay your character, it could also be argued that Calia makes the player a better person, that she gives him/her a purpose other than just "I need to stop the bad guys"

As for why I don't really like Jespar's romance, it's basically for the opposite reasons that I like Calia's better. Jespar doesn't have too much of a character arc. It's not that he isn't a well-written character, it's that he only goes from "I only care about myself and my future" to "I only care about you and me and my future that you're involved in" It feels like you're just going along for the ride rather than being a part of him if you get my meaning. It also seems that Jespar's bond with the player is more like a close drinking buddy than that of a lover. As for his backstory, that is something I really actually like about Jespar; it makes him a unique character.

What are your opinions? Comment below!

[Hazzmat]

Calia is I guess more traditional and Jespar has morals, care and obligations to everything around him. He does it all for the money but it doesn't mean he can't care about other people. He's just less grounded, he'll rather have some quick enjoyment in everything rather than invest his time in something/someone. Jespar for me is definitely less likable.

[MyLongestJourney]

Calia,because of her character.This woman has such a big heart that she feels compassion even for the ones who treat her with cruelty and contempt,like that arrogant novice (I forget his name) who during the initiation test called her a witch and told her she did not belong with the order.

[irmi]

I found it kind of hard to warm up to Calia. Maybe it's because I met her quite late in the game (I tend to finish all possible quests in one area before I move to the next one, and I usually put the main quest on hold quite a bit), maybe it's because it was more fun to flirt with Jespar. Calia was a bit too uptight as a match for my character, somehow too serious.

But I'd have loved dancing with her! Instead I had the love scene with Jespar where the video sequence got stuck so I didn't even get a kiss, and after about 15 minutes -no joking, that's what the in-game clock said!- he was sleeping and I was sitting on the edge of the bed and couldn't even cuddle up because you can't lay down on it *disgruntled noises* (honestly, I'm still laughing about that, and as a woman, I'm still wondering if the timing was on purpose )

[Deleted User 23162]

Enjoyed Calia way more. Her ideals match mine. Jespar was meh. He highlighted a few weak points I have myself personally but my core personality is what Calia is.

[Ephine]

Instead I had the love scene with Jespar where the video sequence got stuck so I didn't even get a kiss, and after about 15 minutes -no joking, that's what the in-game clock said!- he was sleeping and I was sitting on the edge of the bed and couldn't even cuddle up because you can't lay down on it *disgruntled noises* (honestly, I'm still laughing about that, and as a woman, I'm still wondering if the timing was on purpose )

Luckily, the kiss scene worked for me and I was apparently too immerged in the plot to check the in-game time after the bed scene. But I will definitely do that during my next play-through with DLC. 15 min… well, time is precious in Enderal
So as you might notice: I picked Jespar. It is a pity, but I found it hard to stay emotionally attached to Calia throughout the whole story. Although she is a well-made and fantastic character and I can somehow sympathize with her inner struggles, I had to disagree with her worldview and opinion once or twice, which she did not really appreciate…
This does not mean that I think Jespar is “the perfect guy” - he is far from that, but I found it surprisingly easy to get along with him. Maybe it is because I am a woman, maybe because I did my first play-through in the German version where Calia sometimes sounds annoyingly whiny-voiced, whereas Jespar’s voice is irresistibly hypnotic… I don’t know
It is btw interesting that everybody (no matter if male or female) seems to very strongly identify with his/her main character. I wonder why this appears to be that strong with Enderal? To be honest, I never had a problem to get women as love interests when playing e.g. Geralt of Rivia. I also never thought of myself being overly attached to a gender role (especially not in games) and still I feel differently about that when it comes to Enderal. I should probably create a male main character and give the English version of Calia a second chance. I would love to see her romance scene

[raspudding]

I prefer Jespar's romance plot. Actually through the whole game, Jespar had given me lots of warmth. And, yeah, his view of love is pretty cool and I couldn't agree more about his words. He's sooooo cute! And easy to get along with!
That kissing scene, on ship, is my biggest motivation to play this game over and over again